Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1162458
www.BLUEANDGOLD.com SEPT. 16, 2019 5 FAN FORUM ASHES TO ASHES … Regarding the August 2019 edition in which the 10th year of previous Notre Dame head coaches (pages 60‑61) were reviewed … I thought the quote "From these ashes we shall rise," by Ara Par‑ seghian came at the end of Coach Gerry Faust's last game when the Irish were trashed by Miami, 58‑7. I believe Ara, who was a commen‑ tator on CBS at the time, said it af‑ ter Jimmy Johnson's classy bunch blocked a punt leading by about 50. Just wondered. Tony Ardizzone Indianapolis Mr. Ardizzone, you are correct that Parseghian made that statement near the closing of that Nov. 30, 1985 slaughter at Miami to end the Faust era. It would prove prophetic, as three years later Notre Dame defeated the Hurricanes and went on to capture the 1988 na- tional title while on its way to winning a school-record 23 consecutive games. However, that statement was the same rallying cry made by Parseghian follow- ing the 40-6 obliteration it took from Nebraska in the Orange Bowl on Jan. 1, 1973. Notre Dame ended that next sea- son with a 24-23 Sugar Bowl victory versus No. 1 Alabama to capture the national title. Interestingly, in the 1976 book The Era of Ara, co-authored by as- sistant coach Tom Pagna and Bob Best, the chapter on the 1973 team is titled "From the Ashes of Disaster." It probably wasn't by accident that Parseghian referenced that statement more than 12 years later to another on- field Notre Dame football debacle. BE HEARD! Send your letters to: Letters Blue & Gold Illustrated P. O. Box 1007, Notre Dame, IN 46556 or e-mail to: lsomogyi@blueandgold.com The 2019 Notre Dame schedule is highlighted by three road trips in which Notre Dame will attempt to end losing streaks. • On Sept. 21 at No. 3 Georgia (provided the Bulldogs don't lose to Vander- bilt, Murray State or Arkansas State), the Fighting Irish will attempt to defeat a top-five team for the first time since a 17-10 win at Michigan on Sept. 10, 2005. That is 14 years, doubling the previous longest of seven years from 1958-64 since the Associated Press poll first began in 1936. • On Oct. 26, Notre Dame enters Michigan Stadium 0-4 in its last four trips there since that aforementioned win in 2005. It is 1-7 overall at "The Big House" since 1997. • On Nov. 30, head coach Brian Kelly's troops will attempt to snap an 0-5 mark at Stanford since 2009. That prompted a question on BlueandGold.com that since the end of the Lou Holtz era in 1996, what have been Notre Dame's greatest victories on the other team's home turf? Here were a sampling of responses. Spaddy: 1. No. 8 Oklahoma 2012 (30-13) 2. No. 11 Florida State 2002 (34-24) 3. No. 9 Tennessee 2004 (17-13) 4. No. 11 LSU 1997 (24-6) 5. No. 10 Michigan State 2012 (20-3) 6. No. 3 Michigan 2005 (17-10) 7. Unranked Michigan State 2017 (38-18) 8. Unranked USC 2012 (22-13) 9. Unranked USC 2010 (20-16) 10. Unranked USC 2018 (24-17) Crazy4NDFB: You left off No. 2 Florida State in 2014 (a 31-27 Notre Dame "loss"). LazySlob: I know the rankings at the time were reversed, but by the end of the season the 2017 win over MSU, which finished 10-3 and No. 15 in the final AP poll, looks a lot better than the 2012 win against a Spartan team that finished only 7-6 (3-5 in the Big Ten). There was also a good win (21-14) over No. 18-ranked, undefeated Air Force in 2002, with Gameday on the Air Force campus. The scary thing is that depending on the way things break, any one of the big 3 road games this year could very well be the best road win since Holtz. Pretty sobering for those of us who are hoping for playoffs again. Twalsh: Amazing to think that Tyrone Willingham the golf pro has two of your top three. Let's make a list of 30-point losses. He will rule! Irishchippewa: FSU 2002 was special. Apegambino: All the USC wins are much higher for me. 2010 — Finally got the monkey off our back after being USC's whipping boy for eight straight years. 2012 and 2018 — Finished off unbeaten regular seasons by winning in Los Angeles. I realize those weren't great USC teams, but it is bigger than any meaning- less win Ty had against Tennessee. Plus that Tennessee win was just flat out scary. I remember telling myself during the game if ND pulls this out and Ty saves his job because of this win, I'm going to be so pissed. Spaddy: All good points, especially about USC. I just think my first 5, not too many people gave us a chance to win those games. The 1997 win vs LSU and the 2004 win vs Tennessee came during bad sea- sons, so I can see your point on those games. But I would consider those two wins were very highly unlikely to happen, and to me that's more impressive. FROM THE WEBSITE JOIN THE CONVERSATION! GET A 60-DAY FREE TRIAL WITH CODE IRISH60 .com Over the past 25 years, Notre Dame's most impressive road victory might have been at No. 8 Oklahoma in 2012. PHOTO BY BILL PANZICA